CO L!![ I Issue 425 eaver The Newspaper of the London School of Economics Students' Union First published May 5. 19-i9 Oetober l". 1995 m. iXFAM The largest charity in Britain still Find out how you can contribute needs your on page 8. help. Hello Boys! Check out page 14 where David Whippe delves into the subject of Wonderbras Funding shake-up under new LSE-led proposals Grants to be replaced by loans and possibility of top-up' fees James Brown A shake-up of Higher Education (HE) funding could soon happen if radical ideas are accepted by the Education Secretary, Gillian Shephard. The Conservative National Policy Group on Higher Education has put forward a set of proposals for possible inclusion in the Party's next manifesto. The report has been written at a time of increasing fiscal pressures on the government, and the consequent squeeze on institutional and student finances. To relieve these pressures, the Policy Group has proposed that the current fee bands be scrapped and replaced with a flexible voucher system. They also recommend the 'privatisation' of the student loans scheme. The combined effect of these proposals Iain Crawford, LSE's Head of Public Affairs Photo; Steve East would be to allow institutions to charge 'top-up' fees, and for students to borrow additional money to pay for them through the loans scheme. The privatised loans scheme would also allow more to be borrowed with longer repayment periods than at present, thus reducing defaults and providing for the possibility of graduates who earn more to pay off the loan more rapidly. Despite concerns that this would lead to the creation of a "two-tier" university system (institutions that charge 'top-up' fees and those that don't), Iain Crawford, Head of Public Relations at LSE and Policy Group member, believes that there is a general consensus between the three main political parties on this issue. Crawford emphasises that a cornerstone of HE policy is maintained by the proposals; "The principle that Higher Education should be free on demand at the time of entry is fundamental to our thinking". This implies that students will accumu- late debts during their studies for maintenance and, possibly, fees, which they can then pay for in later life. There is a recognition by all interested in the future of HE, including the Labour party, that there are not the resources available (up to £10bn would be needed) to fund a return to a system of full government funding of both reasonable maintenance and fees. Possibly the biggest barrier to the proposals as they stand is HM Treasury. "There are technical problems," admits Crawford, "but there has obviously been a great amount of thought devoted to the issue at a Civil Service level". The main problem seems to be the definition of public and private financing. In Australia, for example, the student loans scheme is managed by a commercial bank part-owned by the state. No such solution is possible in the UK, and any transfer to the private sector could only happen if efficiency gains were made. All change at University Union Sam Griffiths The relationship between the University of London Union (ULU) and the colleges which comprise the University is set to change dramatically as ULU tries to make itself more accountable. This involves lifting what the President of ULU, Ghassan Karian, described as the "opaque screen of central funding," and replacing it with a more open system designed to give individual colleges financial sway in determining the type of services provided by ULU. In 1993, in response to collegiate pressure, the Higher Education Funding Council (HEFC) commissioned a review of ULU's funding which recommended that in future it should be redirected through the colleges. Gradually over five years, 50% of ULU's grant will be negotiated by the colleges on the basis of the extent to which their respective student bodies utilise the services provided. The aim is to create an internal market in which ULU contracts out to the colleges. However, if making ULU more responsive is a good thing, there is also a risk that in the long term it could lead to an overall reduction in Union funding. If the collegiate unions decide to withhold much of their ULU subscription it would be extremely vulnerable to appropriation by colleges during routine efficiency drives. There are, it is true, plenty of other things to worry about. Nevertheless if you believe that having a credible central Union for London students is important then now is the time to look hard at ULU. Read some Jackie Collins in the launderette, splash around in the swimming pool with groovy wave machine - especially valuable to LSE students - but do we really need another welfare office when there is a perfectly good one within the school? ULU is currently collating statistics to ascertain who uses which of their facilities. Students will also be able to voice their opinion through an extensive Gallup survey which should reach colleges, residences and homes in the near future. Sam Griffiths adds-. Thefirst year party came to a temporary standstill at ULU last Wednesday when the second evening of the freshers' fair was delayed by an extensive power failure in the Russell Square area. il Continued on page 2 u„i,ersity of London Union Photo: Stephan Sireau 2 News THE BEAVER OCTOBER 17,1995 UNION JACK A week, as they say, is a long timd in politics. But U-turns in fbrtuM ppre rarely this dramatic. Last week Jadfc aoaned the imminent death of the UGM.) ¦sis week, the near-corpse sprang back td ^fe with a bang. In many ways, it represented poSitical ties on the wider stage: New Labour baps lacks the explosive force of gombined might of the Tories' Hezza and fetfllo, but rigor mortis has been reversed dnbothcasesOeavtng onlythe Liberal Demo-^0^ comatose). Even the jokes were alive running, like all good French cheeses peft out for a week. i BaljitMahalshockedeveryopelastweek jby not givinga report at the UGM. He did the same this week, although the shock-waves feom this second test of his endurance only bad enough time to reachParis before he w^ on his feet. Like the flick of a switch, he unexpectedly defied the self-imposed speech-ban treaty (of which he is only a partial signatory). The reason was simple; he had to Sdefeud his reputation ais an ifldepetiident Ol-t: ive-Branch waver in the face of an unclear jdireat from all sides. i Having establi-sed his credentials with a Wast of hot wind, nonnality was apparently restored. The calm was deceptive however, ^d as the highly-charged dust began to jsettle the real war began. i J ack admired therestraint with which tine l&bate on French Nuclear tests was con-jifccted. It was like a government health •waining ("Nuclear tests are bad for you"), ignoring the fiact that death by the Bomb is neither voiuntary or particularly slow. But, like a Tory party conference, there is always 'ft trace of mild xenophobia in the air when isuch issues are discussed, Tnie to form, file JFrench werehitwhere it hurts them most; the It all started in the basement LSE commemorates 25th anniversary of the Gay Liberation Front Judith Plastow I: " *t was the big bang of my adult life that in a sense changed everything" .said Dr Jeffrey Weeks of the Gay Liberation movement. "It brought together all the strands of my life: the professional, political, personal and sexual. All my commitments since have stemmed from that moment." Weeks, a Professor of Sociology at the South Bank University, spoke frankly at last Wednesday's Gender Institute public lecture held in conjunction with the LSE Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual society. Chaired by Anthropologist Dr Henrietta Moore, the meeting celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Gay-Liberation Front (GLF) founded here in a basement seminar at the LSE. As an LSE research assistant. Weeks first went to the early GLF meetings, the attendance at which included academics, journalists and manual workers. The movement was founded in the heady political atmosphere charging the school in the late 1960s early 1970s. The impact of the GLF, both then and now, was described by Weeks. Initially the GLF allowed lesbians and gays to access the "counter culture" of the sixties where previously they had been excluded. In echoes of the women's movement the "personal is political" brought private issues into the public domain and the GLF legitimised choosing your own lifestyle. Its legacy remains, according to Weeks, 1 Dr JeH'rey Weeks, founding member of the Gay Liberation Front Photo: Stephen Hau '1971 was the seed of much that we in three particular areas: in identity - "coming out" was made easier as the GLF provided a wider context in which one could affirm one's sexuality; in community - fighting for collective liberation not just that of the individual; and a confirmation of what homosexuality is about. Weeks argues it is easy to forget how much the GLF has achieved over the last 25 years: take for granted today" he said. Two hundred people took part on the first Gay Pride march. Last year in Hackney it was approximately three thousand strong. Weeks concluded: 'The GLF created a small space which many people have broadened to create the possibilities of being lesbian and gay today." 1 "I am not proud to come from a nation of |210 cheeses" said a reverse-xenophobic pcench student. "Shame" saidtfaeBigGheese. f'Nor would I be proud to come from Britain, |a country with only 3". Touche. At least British cheeses taste different, thought J ack. Not that fte Left would know about French cheeses asit appears they have been boycotting them in protest of the efforts of the iFrench, obviously apeing the Swiss, at creating the world's largest holey cheese in the pggific. ! The Tories jerked into action, sending a l^rave soul into the real wOrld. He appem^M jto be in the advanced stages of radiation pckness (his hair was falling out). Hejibbered land twitched likean Australiffli seismograph, making no inipact on the debate. j After this flop, the far Right only had one fantastic, untested, weapon in left their arsenal: the'T Dorat". It was deployed cunningly in the final debate about the LSE team in University Challenge, saying something in a screech reminiscent of a cruise missile. W Jack were to hazard a guess, he would say pat "F Dorat" was a German creation, per-baps leftover from WW2, designed to make; bveryone die of laughter. Thegestiires were BMre autocrat, the label said "Made in Munich" and it was almost effective. Fully PSveloped, it would be lethal in the wrot^ Bands. Why it has not been deployed iiS combat before is aiiyone's Jonathan Bennett, UGM Chair joins in the fun Photo: Katrin Hett Fun and games at the UGM Nick Sutton For those who are unaware of the delights of the LSE Students' Union General Meeting (UGM), this picture makes it clear. The meeting - which takes place every Thursday at 1pm in the Old Theatre - is the sovereign decision-making body of the Students' Union. Last week's UGM voted to hold a demonstration at the official opening by a Government minister of High Holbom Hall; lobby the School to reduce rents by 10%; and write to the French President and Ambassador condemning the nuclear tests in the South Pacific. Worries over student safety Jason Kassemoff Concems are mounting over the personal safety of students, following a report on the issue in a national newspaper. Two major incidents were reported last year at the LSE. The first involved a student walking near Silver Walk and being physically attacked by two men. Both incidents were marked by racial abuse. Although physical violence is quite rare, already this term there have been a number of thefts from students around the School. Welfare and Education Sabbatical Officer, Omer Soomro, pointed out that most students know someone who has been mugged or robbed, but the worry is that not all incidents are reported to him as Welfare Officer. Soomro encouraged students to "speak out" on such incidents and to persuade past victims to come to him and report what had occurred. Only by knowing what problems exist can he do something to try to prevent them. A safe transport 'cab-serice' is currently run from the LSE after all main late-night events for a charge of £3, and a free minibus service exists for female students. A spokesperson for New Scotland Yard highlighted the worrying trend in street crime in the capital - 22,000 incidents were reported last year - an increase of3,000 on the year before. University of London Union Continued from page 1 The power cut began at one in the afternnoon and dragged on for six hours. An estimated three to four thousand were expected to go through the Union that evening and Malet Street became uncomfortably crowded as students crowded around the Union door. There were rumours, mainly eminating from a pessimistic porter at Birbeck College that the electricity would remain off until the morning. Fortunately these proved unfounded as the lights came on around seven to a relieved cheer and everything continued as planned. Many stall holders like the women from Ticketmaster and the boys from the army had been waiting for several hours, "At least it isn't raining", they said. A genuine British attitude to a typically British situation. When asked about the cause of the power failure which had blacked out a large proportion of WCl, a lady from London Electricity said only that a "high voltage cable" had malfunctioned. When pressed she admitted it had gone 'bang!', but could offer no further information. The traffic lights on Malet Street and nearby Torrington Road were affected by the blackout, precipitating numerous scary narrow misses in which cab drivers usually seemed to be the aggressors. There were some beneficiaries from the chaos, however. Dillons attracted a large portion of bored queuers into its cosy sanctum, while the Flavours 'R'Us yan did an excellent trade in jumbo sausages. When eventually the lights went back on, I asked an enthusiastic looking UCL first year which society he'd been waiting to join. "None" replied Steve, "we're just here for the freebies". Bloody students! THE BEAVER OCTOBER 17,1995 News 3 Tutors—do they satisfy? Peter Udeshi The majority of undergraduate students have unsatisfactory relationships with their tutors and are grossly ignorant of LSE's policy, as regards the tutorial system. The "obligations and responsibilities of tutors" is articulated in Section Two of the handbook, Information for Undergraduate Students and their Tutors, obtained at registration. Only a small minority are aware it exists. Students' fortune with the tutors they are assigned to appears to be based entirely on luck. Interest in tutees varies from "He still doesn't know my name!" to "She even rings me on my mobile!" Third year students are the most frustrated by lack of communication with their tutor. One student lamented, "He still thinks I'm a Masters Student." However, the general trend is conveyed by the following statement of a third year student: "My tutor says come to me if you have a problem. There is no formality as such." Many students view their tutors as "rubber stamps." They only see their tutor to get their examination entry form signed. Others hesitate from seeing their tutor for fear of exposing their academic weaknesses. One student described their tutor as, "just a wanker." Some departments are notorious, eco- nomics in particular, for their lax approach to the system. Students complain that their tutors are never available. A survey conducted among a cross-section of undergraduates suggested that the average number of tutorials in a year was four. This is well below the guideline stipulated which states: 'Tutors are required to make arrangements to see their tutees on an individual basis at least three times in the first term and at least twice a term thereafter." Many students who see their tutor only two or three times a year argue that they would not know what to talk about, were they to see their tutor more than the bare minimum. There are, however, a sizeable number of students who praise their tutor's efforts and really appreciate the service they provide. This ranges from pubescent crushes to tutors getting their tutees jobs. The system does play "a vital role." One tutor claims it is partly responsible for the non-existence of suicides at the LSE. It is a means to "catch people before they fall. LSE can be a very lonely place and some students will only open up to their tutor." The topic is regularly discussed at meetings of staff-student committees and there is "acute concern" that due to the steadily increasing number of LSE students, lack of personal contact will be further aggravated. Students are allowed to change their tutors, but the mentality of most students is such that tutors do not play an important role in their time at LSE. Michael Jay: visions of Europe Duncan McGrath ¦ ast Thursday, the Vera Anstey I Room played host to the Euro-.M^^Jpean Society's first meeting of the term, where Michael Jay, Deputy Under Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, presented his views on "The Intergovernmental Conference and Beyond: The UK's Agenda." He argued that in years to come contemporary politicians would be judged by two things; their response to the collapse of communism and their ability to compete economically with Asia and Latin America. These two themes were translated by the Deputy Secretary into the basis of the agenda for the next Intergovernmental Conference which he predicted would fall under Italy's presidency in 1996. Faced with the question of how best to deal with the former communist bloc countries now wishing to enter the European Union and the economic threat from Asia and Latin America, the next confer- Michael Jay, guest of the European Society I ence will have to provide some decisive answers that would redefine Europe. Mr Jay believed that the key areas of concern were the overall structure of the EU, the Common Foreign and Security Policy, the Defence Policy and the institutions of the EU. The most constant theme expressed was Britain's opposition to any hint of more Qualified Majority Voting (QMV). In the context of the Common Foreign and Security Policy, QMV would lack credibility and only a common policy would present the correct image. Equally, with regard to weighted voting in an institutional setting, there would be a clear threat from groupings of smaller countries, should the Union expand. Such coalitions may Photo: Ana Shorter create serious problems for the larger states should they decide to vote against them in sensitive policy areas. Other concerns of the Foreign Office include the role of national parliaments which Mr Jay believes should have a greater role, in order to strengthen the concept of subsidiarity. There was also a question as to the length of the presidency, which currently stands at six months. The idea of a shared presidency appeared to be a future possibility. With the last possible date for the next general election being 21st May 1997, a sense of urgency was apparent, the IGC being unlikely to end before spring 1997. When asked about the likely effect of a Labour government on the issues dicussed, Mr Jay responded by saying that Britain would probably join the Social Chapter and opt for the QMV as well as seeking to extend the powers of the European Parliament (something the UK government had previously deemed unnecessary). His overall impression, however, was that Britain would not adopt a substantively different position under a Labour Government. Beaver in financial crisis Juliet Horsley and Dhara Ranasinghe Picture this: life without up-to-date information about what's on, no forum for student complaints and communications, and above all no voyeuristic opportunity to find out who bedded who, where, how and why. Such a scenario is more likely than you think. This is due, not to The Beaver's mismanagement, but to the unforeseen need to change printers. The socialist printing firm, previously employed to produce The Beaver and offering prices less than half those of their closest rivals, recently folded, as tends to happen when a company's ethics of non-profitability override any practices of common business sense. As a result thepaper now faces a deficit in the region of three thousand pounds. Treasurer of the Students' Union, Claire Lawrie, believes that such financial difficulties are by no means insurmountable. She feels that by focusing on increasing revenue through advertising and negotiating a better deal with the Isle of Wight Press (who also recently printed the LSESU Al- ternative Prospectus and the LSESU Handbook), The Beaver's finances can be considerably improved. Whilst not ruling out the possibility of an increase in the LSESU grant of £7,500 to The Beaver, Claire Lawrie stressed her willingness to cooperate with the paper with regard to negotiating a new printing deal and offered to assist the new advertising staff in their quest to produce greater revenue. During a recent interview she referred to The Beaver as a "main asset" of the Students' Union and agreed with the editors, that to go fortnightly would be extremely detrimental to the paper's identity and function as the student's principle means of communication on campus. Finally she highlighted the need to consider, for the future well-being of The Beaver, the potential of capital investment. At present this stands at the same amount as that scored by Western Siberia in the last five Eurovision song contests -nil points. In the heady world of LSE politics, not to mention the hectic social calendar, the importance of a weekly Beaver is, in a word, paramount. It is hoped the proposed measures to rescue The Beaver's finances will be The Beaver Office - a hive of activity: sufficient to maintain its current status as a weekly publication. A final frightening thought: as a last resort the Beaver may be forced to consider an application to the divine Mrs Bottomley' s lottery fund. The Beaver's plight being of Photo: Katrin Hett equal cultural importance as the Royal Opera House. However the likelihood is, she'd take one look at the LSE's overcrowded corridors and hospital-like furniture and deliver the same verdict as that of Barts! 4 Listings THE BEAVER OCTOBER 17,1995 The Beaver Acting Executive Editor Susha Lee-Shothaman Business Manager Scott Wayne Arts Editor Leila Butt Campus Editor Dave Whippe Features Editor Nicola Hobday Literary Editor Danny Silverstone Music Editor Wayne Rogers News Editors Nick Sutton Helena Mcleod Photographic Editors Steven Hau Anastasia Shorter Politics Editor Issam Hamid Sports Editor Chris Cooper The LSE Francophone Society Annual General Meeting Elections - Drinks and Snacks Tuesday, October 17 5.30 pm in C120 LSE Conservative Association John Watts MP, Minister for Transport Wednesday, October 18 1.00 pm. Vera Anstey Room Debating Society This House Believes that politicians are only in it for the money 1.00 pm, A85 LSE Liberal Democrats Weekly Meeting Thursdays, 12.15 pm Room S75 All Welcome LSE Conservative Association GLACS Reception with Lord Archer Thursday, October 19 6.30 pm. Conservative Central Office Canadian Society Get-Together Thursday, October 19 7.00 pm in the Three Tuns New Society Student Aid for Bosnia The aim of this society is to raise money to help students in Tuzla University, Bosnia. At Christmas a convoy is going out to Bosnia to deliver essential goods for local students victimised by war, and we want to contribute. We need help to set this society up. If you are interested or would like to take an active part in the committee please leave a message for Caroline or Sadhia in the Webb Room. Pigeon hole situated on the second floor (Social Policy and Administration Department) under A. Also look out for posters and remember we need you to make this a successful venture. Cartoonist Hector Birchwood Staff: Mark Baltovic, Laure Beaufils, Graham Bell, Annika Boseenquet, James Brown, Toby Childs, Sarah Clifford, Sarah Davies, Teresa Delaney, Nick Fletcher, Scouse Gardiner, Deborah Goldemburg, Tom Greatrex, Kate Hampton, Richard Hearnden, Kerrie Henderson, Helen Jamieson, Dana Johnson, Emma Justice, Sonia Kalsi, Pam Keenan, Sarita Khajuria, Toby Krohn, Philip Lam, Claire Lawrie, Karen Lie, Dennis Lim, Alex Lowen, Duncan McGrath, Dan Madden, Baljit Mahal, Nicky Maragliano, Jessica McCallin, Adam Morris, Ben Oliver, Sorrel Osbourne, Sarah Owen, Antonio Sosa-Pascual, Judith Plastow, Zaf Rashid, Mervyn Rees, Silvia Santoro, Asim Shivji, Ina Woyseth and Hae-Yin. Published by the Isle of Wight County Press Public Lectures Centenary Law and Society Lecture Gunther Teubner, The Otto Kahn-Freund Professor of Comparitive Law & Social Policy. Alera Pars Auditur: Law in the Collision of Discourses Tuesday 17 October 1995 5.30 pm. Old Theatre Centenary Law and Society Lecture The Hon, Mr Justice Sedley Autonomv and the rule of Law Monday 23 October 1995 5.30 pm Old Theatre Gender Institute Lecture Nancy Folbre Professor of Economics, University of Massachusetts Engendering Economics: New Perspectives on wome. Work and Demographic Change Tuesday, 24 October 1995 5.30 pm. Old Theatre hjoiis Lockers As from the start of Michaelmas Term there will be no formal locker allocation procedure. To acquire a locker students should fix a padlock on a locker of their chioce in any one of the designated locker zone areas. It will be the students responsibility to ensure that the lockers are secure and that personal valuables are not stored in them. Please note that this system works on a "first come first served basis". Any thefts, damage or defective lockers should be reported in the first instance to the Main Porters Lodge in the Main Entrance. PLEASE NOTE: All lockers MUST be vacated by 6th July 1996 or they wil be cut open and property cleared by School staff. The School takes no responsibility for any personal property stored in lockers. 1895 Student Group The student group helps the LSE Foundation with fundraising for the School, as well as organising entertainments and activities from its own budget. We are hoping to get the group off to an interesting start this year and our introductory meeting will deal with the plans for the coming year. We are especially interested in involving new students in the group, and welcome anyone interested in joining us to our introductory meeting. All current and ex-officio members should also attend, and bring with them any friends who are interested. Introductory Meeting: October 19, 5 pm in H705 Photocopying The Photocopying Office in the library will offer students a 10% discount on every £10 spent on their copy card - ie 16 A4 sheets free. Chaplaincy There are two Prayer Rooms for Muslim students in the basement of Kings Chambers. There are numerous student religious representing different faiths and denominations. The Chaplaincy (K51) is two rooms open to all students and staff, and is the forum for many groups, discussions, as well as other lighter activities eg weekend retreats away etc - you do not have to be a Christian to be involved. You can drop in informally for a tea/coffee. If you would like to see any of the Chaplains in private while you are here at LSE, to talk about anything at all, please just ask. Their names are on the door of K51 - you can take your pick (women/men)! Among the many different activities, there are the following Christian services held every week: Evening Prayer: Tuesdays 5 pm Anglican Holy Communion: Wednesdays 12.30 pm Roman Catholic Mass: Fridays 12.00 All are welcome andi f inqlly Bassist with backing vocals required to complete 3 piece playing punk/US hardcore - Green Day, Operation Ivy, Nofx. Must have: own equipment, confidence, dedication. We have: rehearsal room free during daytime Contact: David Ainsworth/Jasper Ward Flat F61 Carr-Saunders Hall (0171)580 6338 THE BEAVER OCTOBER 17,1995 5 Strategic Management Consulting Opportunities for the Best of the Best Do you want: ¦ The chance to tackle real business problems all over the globe? ¦ Responsibility from day one? ¦ The chance of "fast track'' promotion? ¦ Intellectual stimulation, variety and learning opportunity? ¦ A personal part in shaping a dynamic and growing firm? If so, come to our presentation at The Senior Common Room LSE Houghton Street on Monday 6 November at 6.00pm or contact Lauren Crystal, Mitchell Madison Group, Lincoln House, 296-302 High Holborn, London WCIV 7JH, Telephone 0171-896 1205 Mitchell Madison Group We are a new and fast-growing firm employing close to 200 consultants, with offices in London, New York and Paris, and consulting assignments all over the world. We are a recent management buyout from within a leading strategic consultancy. We focus primarily on the financial services sector, advising many of the largest financial institutions in the world on matters of strategy, organisation and operations. With plans to expand fast over the next few years, we now have a large number of Business Analyst vacancies for the Best of the Best. 6 Student's Union OCTOBER 17,1995 Publicity dilemma A. CO Baijit Mahal Communications Officer Any student at LSE cannot fail to become quickly aware of how difficult it is to be informed about what's going on, where and when. The simple problem is that with hundreds of active societies at LSE all trying to publicise their events and causes, it is difficult to fairly ration the limited publicity spaces such as notice boards, or space in publications such as The Beaver newspaper. We live in an environment of laissez-faire at the moment. Walls, noticeboards, mobile boards and banners all offer distinct ways to publicise events visually to students. However, with the current free-for-all most students are put off by unsightly noticeboards with layer upon layer of unreadable posters. In fact, by all accounts, many develop a poster blindness that leaves them impervious to so much of what the LSE has to offer. l!i[ N I O The LSE has the richest diversity of societies in the country for its size. Many events that are put on that offer as much, or perhaps more learning and understanding opportunities than can be obtained purely from attending lectures and classes. And in LSE social events are often some of the best ways to have fun and meet people at the same time. Something must be done to redress the current situation. In terms of time, cost and effort the current system means that anyone seeking to publicise an event must put in much time for relatively low returns. Different suggestions have been made. Particularly, the idea of glazing over notice boards as occurs at universities such as Kings College and UCL. Also, regulations could be introduced restricting the number of posters to one per notice board which may contribute to a fairer distribution of publicity space. Nick Fletcher has made some proposals along these lines. But, a key factor in the success of these is the response of the School to these ideas and resources being made available to achieve them. Union editorial London rape crisis centt« Teresa Delaney Women's Officer The justice system in this country allows every suspected rapist or child abuser confidential advice. At the same time there is an attempt which is being made to deny this advice to rape and child abuse victims. Since 1976 the London Rape Crisis Centre has provided a free, confidential counselling service for women and girls. This includes a telephone helpline, face to face counselling, legal and medical advice and emergency housing advice. In 1994 alone the centre took 4,000 calls. Until June 30th 1995 the London Borough Grants Committee was the principle funder, but in early 1994, staff from that scheme asked that the centre allowed them to listen in on calls received on the helpline. This would have been a breach of the Free speech Katrin Bennlioid, Environment Officer Freedom of speech is a vital characteristic of democracy and anyone intending to promote democracy must therefore guard and enhance the right to free speech at any time. This, however, does not imply absolute free speech: when democracy is challenged by a fundamentally undemocratic opinion, ie an opinion that classifies equality between humans as unnatural, then enhancement of free speech can indeed take the form of a restriction. For such a restriction to be democratically legitimate, two preconditions are essential. 1) a majority must vote in favour of it and 2) a profound debate must proceed the vote to assure - or at least facilitate -informed voting. Our administrative victory - a majority vote- against Hizb ut-Tahrir was perfectly constitutional, but debate was and is missing. When that is the case, administrative victory can become political defeat. Can we afford that? Kate Hampton General Secretary It appears that events of the UGM last week have given rise to some confusion amongst the student body regarding rules on free speech at LSE. The Students' Union is governed by strict criteria in this area. While the UGM is the sovereign decision-making body of the Union, it is subordinate to the Constitution and Codes of Practice, which in turn is subordinate to UK law. The motion submitted to the UGM last week called for free speech "regardless of how offensive any student may find the views expressed". This statement was in direct contradiction to our equal opportunities statement, contained in the Union Constitution. The Constitution, agreed upon by the last academic year, states that the Union must be "committed to the active promotion of equal opportunities both in representing and protecting the interests of all its members". The equal opportunities statement of the Union serves to provide LSE students with an environment that is free from discrimination and intimidation. This is particularly pertinent here, given the cultural diversity of our student body. Amendments to the equal opportunities policy are consti- tutional amendments and have to be done via the correct procedure. The Executive Committee responsible for ensuring that the Union acts in accordance with the Constitution and with the law. LSE also has responsibilities under the law. Section 43 of the Education (No. 2) Act 1986 requires all educational establishments to protect freedom of speech within the law, and to this end the School has a Code of Practice on Free Speech (see LSE Calendar). Where the bounds of free speech are exceeded, the School is obliged to intervene. We do not live in a society where free speech is an absolute. Instead, there are restrictions, notably in the case of incitement to racial hatred which is not considered to be within the bounds of free speech. Hizb ut-Tahrir are not a recognised society at the LSE. They have failed to acquire enough members here to form a society. They are not linked to the Islamic Society, which is one of the strongest and most well respected societies at LSE. The Hizb ut-Tahrir members attending the UGM last week were not LSE students and had not been granted outside speaking rights by the UGM. They displayed disregard for our democratic procedures by disrupting the meeting. Even when the motion had been defeated by a majority vote, they persisted in shouting, intimidating many of the students in the Old Theatre. British Association for Counselling Codes of Ethics. The women calling the helpline have already had their privacy violently invaded - the centre did not want to exacerbate that. The confidential character of a service like this one is vital. The Centre must assure its callers it would never betray their trust. For these reasons, the centre refused the Grants Committee. In April 1995 the LBGC withdrew funding without discussion. An appeal has been turned down. This decision is unfair, unprofessional and quite ludicrous. The centre offered other ways of verifying the service which were turned down, which the LBGC refused. Their request breaches their own guidelines. In the next weeks, the Women's Group here at the LSE is running a campaign for the centre. If you want to get involved come to our meetings on Wednesday at 12pm, or leave a message at SU Reception. If you would prefer to contact the centre directly, phone 0171 916 5466. Notice of Union Meetings Constitution and Steering Committee Monday 5 pm Room El95 Executive Committee Wednesday 1pm Room (see SU Reception) Campaigns Committee Wednesday 2 pm Room (see SU Reception) Union General Meeting Thursday 1 pm Old Theatre Finance Committee Thursday 3 pm Room E206 Announcements 1) All newly elected course representatives: Leave your name, department, address, phone number at SU Reception so that you can be contacted for academic affairs training and committee meetings. 2) All societies can have a page on the World Wide Web (internet) - See Kate Hampton. 3) Problems with the new locker system? - See Kate Hampton. 4)Motions for NUS Conference These have to be passed through the UGM by Friday 1st December 1995. International relations Martin Benedek Overseas Officer This article is for those of you (freshers) who didn't come to the New Students' Fair. I am your Overseas Officer and I am the one to turn to if you have any overseas related problems during the academic year at LSE. I don't have an office but you can get in touch with me at SU reception through my pigeon hole there. This year I am trying to set up a scholarship scheme between the LSE and some Central European Universities. This project will require the active involvement of a number of overseas students, preferably those of you who have connections at Central and Eastern European Universities. - The other project I am looking for interested participants for is the Global Festival, a multi-ethnic forum of all students at the LSE in the Lent term. Some of you have already signed up for this at New Students' Fair, but you can still get involved with the Festival through seeing SU Reception. If you are interested in either of these projects please leave a message at SU reception or write to me at F3/2, Carr-Saunders Hall of Residence. THE BEAVER OCTOBER 17,1995 7 Marakon Associates Management Consultants London • Stamford • New York i > •• 11 (i 1 II II I • II lUtI III mi II • Am I attracted by the challenges and rewards of management consulting? • Do I want exposure to a broad range of industries and countries? • Do I want early opportunities to be innovative and entrepreneurial? • Will the firm work to develop me? • Is the firm a good personal fit? > • Will the firm I choose continue to maintain its record growth and IjUl success over the long term? If the above questions are important to you, you should consider the opportunities offered by Marakon Associates Learn more about Marakon on: November 6th, at 7:30pm, Hampshire Hotel, Leicester Square For further information contact: Gill Pickard, Recruitment Manager, Telephone: 0171 321 3604 Fax 0171 930 9716 Vlarakon Associates n Banque Paribas BANQUE PARIBAS PRESENTATION ''YOUNG EXECUTIVE PROGRAMME" If you would like to find out more about Banque Paribas, one of Europe's top investment banks, and the career opportunities we can offer you through our global Young Executive Programme, you are welcome to join us for our presentation evening Date: Thursday 26 October Time: 6.30 pm Place: Banque Paribas 33 wigmore Street, London Drinks and finger buffet will be served We look forward to seeing you For further information please contact your Careers Office 8 Features THE BEAVER OCTOBER 17,1995 Jessica Parkinson and Georgina Reason investigate Oxfam's new initiative to rid the world of poverty and tell us how we can still help Faith, hope and ch^ty are vital building blocks in providing opportunity. Thirdly, participation by local communities who should have a say in the decisions which affect their lives, and fourthly peace and security without which genuine human development will remain an elusive goal. Finally a sustainable future by reversing the spiral of poverty and environmental degradation in which the majority of the poor are trapped. In Oxfam's view if the present pattern of development is allowed to continue unchallenged the future will be a world of deep divisions. Societies segregated between the 'haves' and 'have nots', those with skills and opportunities and jobs and those with none, and between those who 'count' in economic, social and political terms and those who don't. Oxfam's programme today in both the North and the South aims to help poor people claim their basic rights. These are fundamental rights that everybody is entitled to and include: a home, clean water, enough to eat, a safe environment and protection from violence. Other equally important principles are: equality of opportunity, a say in their future, an education, a livelihood and primary health care. Oxfam also wants women's special needs and capabilities to be recognised, and to support efforts by all peoples to live in ways that will not destroy the environment. Aside from the continuing campaign of basic rights Oxfam is presently focusing on helping people in developing countries to help themselves through fair trade and not charity handouts. They are backing the range of Fairtrade Marked products which guarantee that the people who grow the raw materials get a fairer price for their work. The products are Cafedirect coffee (instant and ground), Maya Gold chocolate and Clipper teas. All of these products ensure that more of the price you pay gets to the people who need it most. This means that the farmers of these products get to work on their own farms and see the benefit of their own work. They also make decisions on how to spend their own profits and still maintain their dignity as the money will be earned by themselves for themselves. It is important to know that your contribution will be helping and by buying the Fairtrade products you know that it will. Oxfam is a charity that everyone knows of, but probably not much about and hopefully this article has got a few facts straight. Although not the most cheerful piece in this week's Beaver it should have given you a few things to think about and realise quite how lucky we are. I don't want to preach, as I can't being one of these people who only really thinks about charity when I see the reports by Lenny Henry and Victoria Wood on Red Nose Day, but nearly everyone drinks coffee or tea, and all sane people eat chocolate so why not buy the Fairtrade products? There is free tea and coffee tasting in the Quad on October 17,19and 20 and the Student Union shop will be stocking them soon. Woman in Atsbi in Northern Ethiopia, terracing the dry land to stop soil erosion Photo: Neil Cooper (courtesy of Oxfam) Oxfam, one of the largest and most widely known charities in Britain has its roots in the academic and political thinking that emerged after the Second World War. This thinking was a reaction against the economic depression of the 1930s, the brutal invasions of weaker countries that culminated in Hitler and World War Two and the vision that was summed up in two words "never again". Never again should violence, poverty and mass unemployment be tolerated and never again should governments be unresponsible for the basic social and economic rights of their citizens. The UN charter and the Universal Decleration of Human Rights provided the moral framework for a new order to be built. But today, fifty years on, the basic rights enshrined in the UN charter are being violated on a massive scale. Armed conflict, genocide and attacks on civilian populations are still horrifically frequent, but the largest problem is that of poverty. Today one in four of the world's people live in a state of absolute want, unable to meet their basic needs. The eradication of poverty is therefore Oxfam's main aim and their campaign "Together for rights together against poverty" is rooted in the conviction that the battle against poverty can be won and the recognition of the fact that without public action to effect change it will be lost. Today, although there has been an unprecedented improvement in human welfare measured by increased life expectancy, falling infant mortality, improved nutrition and increased educational attainment, the facts collected by the Oxfam Poverty report show how broadly we are failing in attaining the inspired vision of a new order. * The richest fifth of the worlds population, living in the industrially advanced countries, have average incomes Oiriijc xinit Angus Deayton advertising the new range of Fair "Trade products thirty times higher than the poorest fifth. * The poorest 50 countries, mostly in Africa, have seen their incomes decline to the point where they now account for less than 2 percent of global income. These countries are a home to one-fifth of the world's people. * One in four of the world's people exist in a state of absolute want, with millions more living close to this perilous state. ?Poverty related diseases claim the lives of 35,000 children every day. * Half of the world's population is systematically discriminated against from the cradle to the grave for the 'crime' of having a female chromosome. * 130 million children are denied the right to primary education; and the number of years which girl children spend in school is half that of boy children. * Approximately 1.3 billion people have no clean water or sanitation. Today, Oxfam is one of the largest overseas development agencies in the UK and Ireland, but it had small beginnings. In 1942, during the Second World War, the Oxfam Committee for Famine Relief was set up to highlight the problems created by a blockade imposed by the Allies on Greece, which prevented food and supplies reaching civilians. In 1943 the Committee was registered as a charity, and after the war continued raising funds for war refugees and opened the UK's very first permanent charity shop in Broad Street, Oxford. The Oxford Committee also extended their aims to include the relief of suffering in any part of the world. Now, Oxfam in the UK and Ireland has an income of around £80 million which funds development and relief work in over 70 countries in the South, and is run by both paid professional staff and a wide network of volunteers. Oxfam has identified broad principles which should serve to guide policy choices in order to eradicate poverty. Firstly, increased equity by establishing redistrubutive measures to narrow the gap between rich and poor countries, and rich and poor people. Also inequalities such as class and gender which represent formidable barriers to poverty eradication. Secondly, enhanced opportunity by increased investment in primary health care, basic education and water sanitation which THE BEAVER OCTOBER 17,1995 Features 9 Canyon csunping! Nick Deardon extolls the virtues of Gay Awareness Week Students who have been at the LSE a while will know that every year the Student Union holds a Gay Awareness Week, which is a mixture of political and social activities aimed at promoting issues concerning lesbians, bisexu-als and gay men. This is important because of the discrimination that these groups still face even in the 'cosmopolitan' LSE. This year, however. Gay Awareness Week will be an especially large-scale event because it is timed to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Gay Liberation Front (GLF). This organisation was founded at the LSE on October 13,1970 and has been the most significant group in the fight for lesbian and gay rights to date. To celebrate this event two of the most noted gay activists of today - Angela Manson from Stonewall and Peter Tatchell from Outrage - will be talking about their experiences in the GLF, and how that shaped gay politics. There will be representatives from Jewish, Muslim and Christian groups discussing the relationship between race religion and sexuality, and the supposed in- compatibility of these identities. There will also be a representative from the Terrence Higgins Trust to debate the way in which HIV and AIDS have shaped gay politics. On Monday night the fringe theatre company Off-Limits will be performing in the Quad. They have recently toured the country to excellent reviews and as this is their only central London performance before Christmas it should be well attended. Finally, there is the usual Awareness Week party on Friday night in the Tuns and the Underground, with an especially camp disco in the Quad. Stalls will be in the Quad every day, so get your condoms and red ribbons free from there. If you are in Halls of Residence, they should also be paying you a visit at some time in the week. Although Gay Awareness Week should only be the start of the fight for lesbian and gay rights in the college, it is important in raising the issues in as a big a way as possible, and in showing others what they are missing out on. So, come along to all the events to show you're support and have an absolutely fabulous time too! liberty belles Nick Deardon reminds us of the twenty fifth anniversary of the GLF You could be forgiven if you have never heard of the Gay Liberation Front (even if you are gay and at the LSE). Yet for those of you who have not noticed the plaque above the counter in the Union Cafe, here is an explanation of why the GLF should be remembered by anyone interested in the fight for equality in our society. The GLF was founded on a basement seminar room in the LSE on October 13, 1970. Nineteen people were in attendance. This group had been inspired by a radical new movement which had been founded in the USA following the Stonewall riots of June 1969 in which gays in a bar in New York had refused to be intimidated by the police yet again, and fought back, rioting for three days. They were sick of the 'homophile' movements of the 1950s in which 'respectable' gays and straights had pleaded with the authorities for tolerance. They believed that gay identity was something to be proud of and they would demand equality through direct action and revolutionary change. These ideas were totally new and the movement grew very quickly. By December 1970, over 500 people were attending weekly GLF meetings in the New Theatre, the GLF had a totally democratic structure, without an executive, and had many smaller groups to monitor particular forms of homophobic organisation - such as the counter psychiatry group. An essential part of the GLF was the Because lesbians and gays had faced a lifetime of oppression and self-hate, they had to understand themselves and their common identity before they could develop a truly liberationist ideology. feminist idea of consciousness-raising. It was this application of the idea that 'the personal is political' that showed that showed the GLF as something different from the Old Left. To hold a gay disco was a political statement. This is not to say that the GLF abandoned traditional political action. They fully believed in an alliance with the Labour movement, the women's movement and the Events Diary Monday 16 1.00pm: Angela Mason (Stonewall) and Peter Tatchell (Outrage) on gay liberation in the Underground. 8.00pm: Off-Limits Theatre Company present '50 Ways To Tell Your Mother' in the Quad. Tuesday 17 1.00pm Jewish, Christian and Muslim members discuss the compatibility of race, religion and sexuality in A85. Wednesday 18 1pm The Terrence Higgins Trust on the Politics of AIDS in A85 Friday 20 7pm on: Gay Awareness PARTY in the Quad, the Tuns and the Underground Stall with condoms, ribbons and info, in the Quad. Black movement, and argued with these groups on demonstrations. They also fought against blatant homophobia, for instance in Mary Whitehouse's bigoted 'Festival of Light'. It was the GLF who initiated the now enormous Gay Pride marches. Within three years the GLF had virtually disappeared - split into feminists, Marxists and civil rights separatists. Yet in those three years heterosexist society had been challenged as never before. It was now possible to live as openly and proudly lesbian or gay. The fight had just begun - twenty five years later none of the GLF's immediate demands have been fully met, let alone their more revolutionary 'Principles'. Yet the position of the GLF in starting that fight is paramount. It has done more than any subsequent organisation to change the lives of lesbians and gays in this country. 10 Arts _I w_ THE BEAVER OCTOBER 17,1995 No way out Caroline Hooton on a family ties so complicated that they leave your head whirling Gena Rowlands and Jacob Tierney ' : - ¦ The Neon Bihle Director: Terence Davies Lumiere The story of the Neon Bible is set in the American South in the 1930s and is told in flashback by David (Jacob Tiemey). David comes from a poor family with a violent and racist father (Dennis Leary, who proves to be very good in what is unfortunately an underwritten role) and a mentally imbalanced mother (Diana Scarwid). Into their humdrum exist- Arfilicial Eye ence comes David's Aunt Mae (Gena Rowlands), acolourful night-club singer whose best days are behind her and who has decided to live with them. Initially the vibrancy and cheerfulness of his aunt provides David with some much needed excitement and friendship, but gradually her self-obsessiveness and desire to sing one day on the radio and make records sees the destruction of a family already devastated by the Depression and later by the death of David's father. I would genuinely like to be able to say that I enjoyed this movie, partly because of the British connection (it was written and directed by Terence Davies and was funded by Channel 4) and partly because of the truly excellent cinematography, but I cannot. This is simply because while it is slowly paced it fails to be absorbing - at no point is the audience made to feel a part of the family, instead we are outsiders looking in (something enforced by the continued use of window imagery). While this effect works in the scenes depicting the day-to-day life of the family, it fails when it comes to showing the tragic elements and deprives the emotions of a much needed punch. In addition, the characters comes across as being unsympathetic. While the central character, David, is well acted the only emotion he creates in the viewer is that of frustration that he never stands up for himself, and is always dominated by others. Aunt Mae is easily the most interesting protagonist - feisty, selfish and determined to be centre stage but also oddly caring - but she isn't on the screen long enough for her character to be fully developed while the relationship between her and her nephew is never fully explored. Finally the film ends on a curiously upbeat note which seems to be at odds with its dark undertones. Taken from the novel of the same name by the Pulitzer winning novelist John Kennedy Toole and shown in the official competition at this year's Cannes Film Festival, this has the potential to be an intriguing and deeply moving story. Unfortunately, it fails to deliver. It will move you, but I don't think fidgeting is what the director had in mind. Pleasure or pain? An appealing title masks the usual run of the mill stuff. Gulshan Verma reviews 'E?cquisite UncCerness Director: Carl Schenker Exquisite Tenderness apparently is a medical term which refers to the point when pain reaches its maximum, so don't be mislead by the title into thinking its one of those movies where people romp around in bed all the time. In fact it is meant to be a suspense thriller set in hospital. Several suspicious deaths of patients means that the finger of blame is pointed at our heroine the brilliant Dr Theresa McCann (notice how doctors in movies always seem to be brilliant - just for once I would like to see a doctor who scraped into medical school by the seat of his pants) played by Isabel Glasser. Anyway our daring doctor must naturally prove her innocence and along with ace sidekick toxicologist Dr Benjamin Hendricks (James Remar) goes wandering around the hospital looking for the real killer. The main problem with this film is that director Carl Schenker thinks that the words 'suspense thriller' mean sweeping camera angles, over-the-top thudding gothic music and lots of blood. And the blood does come thick and fast from almost the first scene, where a baboon brains himself against a window to throats being slit and any number of victims being stabbed in the eye with needles. In between the violence are appearances by Charles Dance who plays the hospital administrator, Dr Ed Mittlesbay, who has a permanently pained expression on his face (probably realising that this film is even worse than The Last Action Hero) and Malcom McDowell as yet another brilliant research doctor whose appearance in the film is completely unjustified and probably a sad attempt to give this film some weight - his name coming at the top of the credits even though he gets about five lines. Last but not least there is also the never dying killer about whom I'm not going to say anything just suffice it to say that he comes back after being killed four times. In short this is definitely one to miss and a bigger turkey will not be found till Christmas. OCTOBER 17,1995 Letters ll Letters to the Editor Holbom's Heaven? Dear Editor It has been pointed out in r/jg Beaver that the School's new student residence at High Holbom has had teething problems. The article ended by saying that the problems were being tackled and that they may be a small price to pay for cheap accommodation in the centre of London and near to LSE. However, it's still worth my saying a few words about the various problems and what we're doing to put them right. Regarding telephones, IT&T have had problems with making a system of this size secure against fraudulent use of other people's phones. They've formally apologised for the delay, and the School will be running the system itself from the end of the month until IT&T can take over in January. The computers for the computer suite weren't delivered as soon as we had expected. They will be installed by Monday 16th for normal use, and hooked up to the network as soon as capacity allows. The two leaking showers were blocked up with hair and the problem was sorted out as soon as we were notified. I'd ask students to notify reception as soon as any future blockages are spotted rather than waiting until the water actually overflows! In some parts ofthe building, hot water supply has been erratic. The engineers simply underestimated the peak demand for hot water, but now they've put anextrapumpinit seems to have cured the problem. The fridge-freezers provided by the developers are normal family ones, so they thought they should be big enough for four to six people. However, we'll keep an eye on the problem, and if it seems to be persistent and widespread, then we'll review the situation. The lifts meet all the normal design criteria, and the congestion is the result ofthe normal peaks and troughs you get in the morning and evening 'rush hour'. Again, we'll keep an eye on the problem, but we'd also ask students on the lower floors to use the stairs more if they can — think of the health benefits! Students are currentiy putting their household rubbish in bags which are being collected daily. It's been difficult to obtain suitable fireproof metal bins at reasonable cost, but we've found some which should be in place in about two weeks. Rents haven't been 'hiked' by £15. The rent level of about £75 was set, as are all halls' rents, by the Interhalls conunittee which includes student representatives. A number of factors, including convenience and transport costs, is considered when setting rents across the board at all residences so that a parity is reached. As far as the teething troubles are concerned, I hope everything is now, or soon will be, running smoothly in this new building — all new buildings suffer to some extent in this way. If you have any problems, please do not hesitate to let the Warden or Residence Manager know, and he or she will do their best to put things right straight away. But remember, the lucky students who are living there are in one of the nicest halls of residence anywhere. Yours sincerely David Segal Assistant Secretary Letters to The Beaver can be about the paper or any other issues that concern you. The deadline for the letters page is Thursday at ten. who the F*** is Harry? Dear Sir/Madam, Houghton Street Harries (sic) Mouth-foaming attack on Mature students, (Students over 21 and not 25 as Harry suggests), was I presume attempting to be humours (sic). I suspect Harry is a white middle-class public School Twat, who carries around all the typical public school characteristics of Snobbery, Sexual Confusion, (note all the Masturbatory comments) and obvious Tory politics. I left School 10 years ago and my experience of life is Slightiy more than fagging for prefects and taking tea with the headmasters wife. Harry suggests all mature students are failures in life, I advice (sic) him to meet a few. Like all LSE students, we come from a wide range of backgrounds ranging fix)m Company directers (sic) to (ex) factory workers. Does he seriously believe that everyone who works in non-proffesional (sic) jobs are failures in life. He also argues that we steal places in the Halls, but I have more fucking right to a place in the halls due to the obvious fact that I've paid Tax for the past 10 years. On a more Serious note I've Spoken to many older students who feel isolated from the main Student body. This is largely due to the fact that us wrinklies feel that going out and stealing road signs is a little bit crap. However the majority of student do mix and have plenty of common ground. But Harry's article will probably alienate some of the more older students. Last Week the NUS executive upheld their decision to ban intolerant groups like Hizb ut-Tahrir, because they upset and intimidate many of the minority groupings in the LSE. HSH rant (sic) against older students is published in the Union paper, even though it attacks a minority in the LSE. I can't imagine the LSE (self) appointed overseers of (non) free-speech banning HSH. Harry will probably argue that I've got no sense of humour being an old git (27), but when you see Harry walking round the LSE with my old Factory Spanner rammed up his fat arse, then we'll all be laughing. Robert Reed, Mature (ish) Student Baljit Bullshit? Dear Beaver, I'm sorry but what the hell was Baljit talking about? Can anyone on the Exec, write comprehensible English? I quote: "Communications is the matter which addresses the need of the students to be informed about, nofjust the general student life of which they are a part, but the crucial decisions, campaigns and interests that they have in common." It gets significantly worse... The infantile, vacuous machinations of Baljit's pseudo intellect display themselves in nonsensical, ungrammatical, egotistical and unhumorous drivel. Why are we subjected to his singularly unconvincing attempt at dramatic rhetoric at UGMs and now in the Beaver? Surely he won't be doing it ever again? Goldman Sachs International is pleased to invite all women in their penultimate or final year to attend an informal panel discussion on "Careers in an Investment Bank" and reception afterwards on Thursday 19 October 6:30 pm Peterborough Court 133 Fleet Street, London All Goldman Sachs divisions will be represented: Commodities & Foreign Exchange, Equities, Fixed Income, Investment Banking, Operations, Technology & Finance and Goldman Sachs Asset Management To reserve a place contact Joanne Fall tel 0171 774 3360 Chris Lobb 12 Music THE BEAVER OCTOBER 17,1995 Sweet as shite James Crabtree on the new Big Sugar CD Oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear. Canada has a very warped sense of humour. Supposedly the country with one of the highest standards of living on the planet, and all we have to show for it is John Candy, Due South, and, well, erm, Big Sugar. And if I tell you that the latter of those cultural giants is by some little margin the worst of the three, you will begin to get the idea. They suck, big time. The promotional blurb claims that this band "defy easy characterisation". Lies, my friends, all lies. Any list of bands under the heading of, say, 'dross', or even 'spurious cliched arse' would not be fully complete without mention of Toronto's finest 'rawk' band. Big Sugar desperately want to be in Marlboro country, but sadly they took a wrong left turn somewhere and are presently lost in Clichdland, and they are having a whale of a time. Truly this is music for the 'Burger King Generation'. You want chunky rawk n'roll blues riffs? No problem. You want cheesy pictures of guitar players (doubtless playing said chunky rawk n'roll blues) on your CD sleeve? That's fine. You want bowel-shatteringly embarrassing lyrics about cars n'girls? You got it! Would you like some appalling guitar solo with you Big Sugar, sir? Well, don't mind if I do. You want something any good? Er,.............. 'fraid not. Oh yeah, have a nice day. However, the press release does say, without a hint of irony or even a self conscious blush, that they have "sucked in fans faster than a double barreled carburetor". Well, they got the first word right, then. Big Sugar will be enjoyed only by those people who hanker after dull workman-like trad guitar bands with a propensity for quiet bit/loud bit formulas in their songs, screaming guitar solos, screaming lyrics and a love of the genuine rock and roll ethos. The title track (and can you take anything called "ride like hell!" seriously?) has all of these, and, hell, its got a little bit more to spare. Track two is actually quiet good ............. for the best part of 7 seconds (I timed it), but that is when the mellow acoustic bit turns into the loud blues bit, and Big Sugar regress to the browner side of shite once again. The only thing on here worth listening two is the last track, a "deconstructive dub mix", which saves face only by the fact that someone (no name given, obviously two embarrassed to be associated with this lot) has hidden as much of Big Sugar as is humanely possible. A brief resume, then. For Beavis and Photo:Snvertone Records Butt-head, these guys would rock {huh-huh, huh-huh). For Black Crowes fans, these guys would be alarmingly average. For anyone else, these guys should be shot. To quote the late Bill Hicks; "Piece of Shit. Walk away". Well said, my man. This film's crap, lets slash the seats Iain Haxton reviews David Holmes' new album Glancing a cursory eye over The Beaver (ho ho) it is with mounting, perspiring, trembling excitement, verging almost on the sexual, that I read of last week's reviews. Oooh. "House Collection Volume 3" and some indie Belgian band. Exciting stuff really. The name "David Holmes" is possibly as equally unexciting, being vaguely reminiscient of Ovaltine, sandals, and sexually inadequate Christian folk songs. The reality is way different. The name sounds crap: the album sounds like a dream. I don't know, maybe Mr. Holmes should call himself "D J Raw Sex" or something. Simply so that people take notice and actually listen because this is a great album. I first saw him spin his stuff supporting the Chemical Brothers at the Hacienda, so I was expecting their whole disc to be am-phetamine-fuelled techno. Some of the tracks are consistent with that kind of vibe; "Shake Ya Brain" is a gentler Plastikman and "Slash The Seats" is a plodding Eat Static (even with pseudo-"mothership" sam- ples about "Initiating hyperdrives" that tecno-crusties love). Yet nothing as wickedly fast and dirty as his previous singles ("Hawiian Death Stomp" etc.). But the actual scope of the whole thing is much broader; defying journalistic contrived pigeon-holes. It's not techno, it's not ambient, it's not classical. I don't know what it is, but it's cool. There's a vague Banco de Gaia thing going on, (but it surpasses that). There's elements of Portishead and Massive Attack in terms of slow, percussive beats with widdly noises over the top. And the star track "Gone" has Sara Cracknell (St. Etienne) singing away and matching anything by those other bands. It's intense. And one would assume that it has a big market amongst those that smoke non-legal recreational substances. But remember; that kind of behaviour is wrong. You can fully enjoy this on its own merits. It's like the perfect film soundtrack for the best film you're never going to see. So what are you waiting for? Goodlordz! Another anonymous man is "All In The Family" The sign reads: 'Sorry - due to immigration problems, the Lordz of Brooklyn will not be playing tonight.' So what's the story? Were these hardcore rappers, straight off New York's mean streets, denied entry to the Queen's domains for trying to import a small arsenal of essential gangster-type accessories? Were they guilty of aiding and abetting the booming Colombian export market? "Um, no.", says the man at the front desk, somewhat sheepishly, "They hadn't got their work permits." So no major brush with the law and the Lordz of Brooklyn retire to their hotel bar to work on their gangster image. And it does need a bit of work: at the moment the Lordz are gangsta-Iite, the naughty-but-nice end of the hard rap scene. They do try: they curse, they swear, they wear black hats and scowl at cameras; but at the end of the day they're not fooling anyone - they're good boys (or rather, boyz): they even take the time to dedicate their album to their mothers. And the album's not that bad. Bypass the gratuitous posturing and you have some pretty good tracks. "Saturday Nite Fever", the group's first single, outstrips the current hip-hop competition (namely Cypress Hill's turgid "Throw Your Set In The Air"); O.K. they lack a little something in the lyrics department (classic lines: "They call me gentleman Jim/I'm original like sin " and "Talk is cheap/like a parakeet"") but they have the beats, the energy and the requisite man with a growly voice to make up for such shortcomings . The music is accessible - a fact you might put down to their sounding like Cypress Hill (minus the guns). House of Pain (minus the Guiness) and the Beastie Boys (minus the monks) all rolled into one happy kingskin - and I would happily recommend this album to all hardcore hip-hop fans as a derivative but worthy debut IF they hadn't got so carried away with the gangsta thing. The self-indul-gent hardman talk spills over into outright sickening bigotry in the track "Out Ta Bomb" and that, lads, was not a good career move. THE BEAVER OCTOBER 17,1995 13 Braxton Associates <^1 1 STRATEGY CONSULTING Braxton Associates is a leading International strategy consulting firm — We are seeking: • The very best graduates from any background, with: • Analytical/quantitative skills - • European languages, especially German, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian and Swedish We can offer: • A fast growing company committed to employee development • Exposure to a wide range of business issues • A high level of responsibility and involvement • An international work environment • A highly competitive salary and benefits package CAREERS PRESENTATION Monday, 23 October 1995 6.00 pm Vera Anstey Room (near main lodge) London School of Economics - fl ,• For more information, please see your Careers Service for our brochure, or contact Ingrid Firminger, Braxton Associates Ltd, 90 Long Acre, London WC2E 9RA. (Tel: 0171-334-0088) Please apply by C.V. before 28 December 1995 DeloitteTouche Tohmatsu International Boston Johannesburg London Melbourne Moscow Munich New York Paris Tokyo Toronto 14 Campus THE BEAVER OCTOBER 17,1995 Wonderbra? Wumbabra more like, eh lads? David Whippe Last week was National Wonderbra week, and what a week it was too. Hundreds of posters of Eva Herzigova with her tits out, and slogan's marginally less base than m up for it," and "Fuck me, look at my puppies!" The interesting thing is not the bra itself, or the blatantly sexual advertising, but the cult which has grown around something which is essentially a product designed to make the twins look bigger. It is easy to trivialise the issue, for example one nickname is the sheepdog as it 'Rounds 'em up and pulls 'em in' but there is much more to it than this. Firstly, dealing with the mechanics of the Wonderbra, this is a miracle of modem engineering utilising 28 different components to achieve the desired effect. What is miraculous though, is that they actually work, transforming even the most 'boyish' of maidens into a fully-fledged Cindy Fulsome whose 78-inch wonder wumbas regularly grace my copy of the Sunday Sport (and indeed my bathroom wall last year [along with my flatmate's jiz after he shagged his bird in the bath]). From the acres of press coverage devoted to the Wonderbra, it is clear that in the minds of some, it has come to signify some- The one the advertising board didn't approve thing more than just a piece of underwear. The idea is that women are taking control of their own bodies by making their mams look bigger. Appearance is now the first line of defence for the modem woman in today' s society, and the Wonderbra allows a woman to be strong, not in a male way, but through asserting their personality in a feminine manner ie using the body as an asset. Thus, a woman in a Wonderbra is not saying "I'm on the pull lads, cop an eyeful of my bristols," but "I'm an intelli- SUCK 'EM AND SEE gent, assertive woman in control of my own destiny." Now this is clearly bollocks, and could not be equated to men. It is a well known joke about men putting socks down their pants to enhance their rapiers, but this is just that, a joke. It is hard to imagine a male equivalent to the Wonderbra, with grown men strolling into the underwear section of Marks and Spencers requesting from the sales girl a Gossard Cock-Brace, or a Playtex Knob-Sock. This is because, in the battle of the sexes, men are comfortable with their position, and women, occasionally justifiably, still see themselves as the losers. Now this I can accept, but when some rabid dyke feminist starts ranting on in the Guardian about emancipation, and linking a bra with empowerment, then this really gets my goat. The message is "Expand your pillows, and become an intellectual." The most frustrating thing about this though, is not whether women believe this, but that they are living a lie. Wonderbras are an illusion. When a girl takes a Wonderbra off, that firm, rampant, luscious, choice chest you were ogling and leering at so pointedly, suddenly tums into a completely unrecognisable monsterfrom the planet Sag. This is not on. At least when a woman has a boob job, what you see is what you get, no drawbacks, except of course for the occasional propensity for them to explode in pressurised cabins at thirty-six thousand feet. Yet, despite them being expensive and uncomfortable, women still wear Wonderbra's. Of course, they look wonderful, but they are still a con. Do people feel so conditioned by societal values of perfection that in order to get ahead they have to conform to what is perceived as being the best? Who cares, the ones I really feel sorry for are the girls who have genuinely got a great set on them and don't need enhancing. Now they must be tmly fucked off. College is Crap Fat bloater Raj Paranandy. The Brummy Bell-end speaks back Twelve months ago, I arrived at LSE with a pre-conceived no tion of a better world that awaited me. Here, at last, was the chance for my inbred maturity to emerge - for the individual within to arise. I was to spend many a lazy hour in pursuit of intellectual fulfillment - discussing Moliere's plays, Van Gogh's paintings, and Friedman's views on monetarism with like-minded individuals. This was the opportunity that I'd always yearned for; a chance to join the intellectual elite on a voyage of self-discovery. The end product, I assumed, would be a wholly more refined individual, capable of stealing the show at upper-crast dinner parties and intimate soirees in Knightsbridge. People would soon mention me in conversation, marvelling at my new-found confidence and wit. I would achieve renown as a genius and scholar from Birmingham. Then, of course, I would round off the year with an enlightening trip abroad; perhaps I would 'find myself whilst climbing mountains in Afghanistan. A year on, and the image has altered slightly. I did, indeed, spend many an hour pursuing intellectual fulfillment - discussing feminism (birds love it, they all do), human biological mechanisms (how many pints I could drink before chundering), and contributing regularly to debate on fine world cuisine (titillating Norris McWhirter by eating a world-record 852 kebabs in a term). Additionally, I have now perfected time-management (I can now drink three pints whilst simultaneously urinating over tramps in doorways). Indeed, I can now steal the show at upper-cmst dinner parties (the Passfield Barbecue) and intimate cheesy soirees (The Tuns on Friday Night), and people do mention me in conversation, marvelling at my new-found beer gut, and child bearing hips. Just as I hoped, I've achieved renown as a lairy fat bastard from Birmingham. The year did indeed end with an 'enlightening' trip abroad; 'finding myself in the company of several thousand mingers in Tenerife, each of whom were reasonable contenders for the definitive A-Z of wildebeast. What strikes me though, is that only pretentious bastards could live the university life that I initially envisaged. Such folks do exist, indeed, they fly in by the dozen every week from the US, wearing cloth caps and blazers. Why is it that Americans (especially the ones at Passfield) insist on boring everyone to tears with their wretched discussions on the state of the US political system today? Lets face it, it's shit.....and LSE TOP TEN: BIRDS WHO DON'T NEED A WONDERBRA 1. NICOIA HOBDAY - Magnificent melons 2. KATE HAMPTON - stop phoning Cooper 3. EVA WOYSETH - Ina Wahey-seth 4. RACHEL CUTHBERT - wonderful wumbas 5. AT.EX LOWEN - the biggest of them all Oaffa) 6. ALISON SUMMERFIELD - she reaUy summerfills it 7. IMOGEN (RAF'S BIRD) - at Cooper's request 8. SUSIE BEGGS - oh no, she does wear one 9. STEPH WELLSTEAD - "Same size as Pamela Anderson" - Joe Parfitt 10. CERI HOPEWELL- One for the boys and • girls. it knows it is. Why do Americans shout "Nixon" during every episode of the Simpsons, and only laugh at bits that are not funny? Why do you prefer CNN to Goals on Sunday? Why do you prefer the Passfield canteen to Mr C's. Why are you all so shit at football? Admittedly, our American counterparts are probably equally bemused by the British lad culture that is increasingly prevalent at LSE. Its fair to say that there is far too much pie-eating/ pint-drinking/ Sun-reading/ arse-pinching / bile-chundering. So first years beware; LSE isn't what its cracked up to be. You'll arrive as a world beater, and leave as an egg beater. All of your lofty ambitions will float away in an alcoholic blur. But console yourself with one thought .... at least you're not Chris Cooper. THE BEAVER OCTOBER 17,1995 15 A taste of his own medicine - just what the doctor ordered! The Beaver needs you! All budding journalists, aspiring photographers, enthusiastic production types We need you to help produce the paper Come to our weekly collective meetings Mondays, 6 pm C023 The Beaver, in conjunction with Beatwax promotions, is running a film competition. We have a CD soundtrack of Clueless, the OLueiess new teen film starring Alicia Silverstone, and also T-shirts from the comedies To Die For and Funny Bones to give away. All you have to do is leave your name, address and phone number at The Beaver office, C023 TO Dl{ FOA (Basement of Clare Market Building) by Friday, 27 October and you'll automatically be entered into our prize draw. Please also say which prize you'd like if you win. funny bones Corporate Decisions, Inc. As a Consultant at CDI: You WILL... • work as part of a multinational team located in Paris • help multinational companies on a pan-European and global level • help GDI's clients to grow faster and more profitably than their competitors You WON'T... • limit your experience and analysis to one country • specialize in headcount reductions and other cost-cutting or reengineering programs • spend your work week on the client's site Corporate Decisions, Inc. (CDI) specializes in developing innovative, customer-driven strategies for profitable growth. Send your Cover Letter and CV to: Marie-Pierre Coste Corporate Decisions, Inc. 42, rue Wahington 75408 Paris Cedex 08 France We invite you to learn about one of the most dynamic opportunities in consulting today. Assess our fit with your career goals by attending GDI's: London School of Economics Presentation Wednesday, October 18th: 7:00 p.m. LSE Main Building, Houghton Street Senior Common Room, 5th Floor an informal reception will follow... 16 Sports THE BEAVER OCTOBER 17,1995 T ¦s> SUmt Interesting... very interesting Look at his face, just look at his face Danny Fielding By the time you read this, the new term will be three weeks old, and times they are a-changing. The Tuns, which was previously packed to the rafters every night and full of lunchtime drinkers washing down their pies with pints, is now like a ghost town, the blood-stained women's toilets and the stained carpet the only remnants of a vibrant freshers week. The Old Theatre, once host to top entertainers, can now only be filled by those wearing LSE jumpers, carrying dictaphones and writing down everything, including Hindley's stutters and Perlman's delirious slurs, while the Quad, where DJ Cory used to spin the tunes, is now empty butfor a dog and wandering gypsies plying their trade. And all around the deserted corridors, little voices can be heard to say, "Well, it's shit innit! There's nothing to do." Yes, freshers week is over and there's nothing to do. Or is there? Many of you won't know either way because your heads are so far up your own arses to see. It's always the same. First few days, packed Tuns, packed houses for every event, and everyone has a whale of a time (a few people actually have whales, but that's a different story). Two weeks later the only It's not very often that a game at Berrylands leaves all those who played and witnessed it feeling warm inside, touched forever by what they saw, but this happened on Wednesday when the First team opened their account in grand style with a corking 2-1 victory over a very strong QMW side. There were certainly no great expectations before the game for Rikos Leong-Son's purple, black and yellow stripey army, as the trials and circuit training had shown a distinct lack of fitness and talent from those chosen to replace such greats as Trees and Thode. When the lads from the Mile End Community Rehabilitation Project finally turned up, unemployed hanger-on Angus Kinnear recognised much talent from his college days and predicted a tough day ahead of us, and it certainly started off that way. Rikos' BNP-style team-talk had little effect as it was backs to the wall stuff (no reference to Scouse), with Ludford-Thomas hauling his funky black ass into midfield to help out and add some natural rhythm to our play. The new toilet roll formation (a big hole in the middle) was not paying dividends and it was left to the fab five in defence, the Take That better look-a-likes, to keep LSE in the game. When their combat 18 strikers achieved mission impossible, as Dave Whippe has yet to do in 23 years, and breached the back line. Big Svein, the highly-rated shotstopper from Snoreway, kept it at nil, which is just how his countrymen like their flair-packed national team and their Eurovision songs. Unfortunately, Nic "Robbie Williams" Jones decided to quit the band to concentrate on a new career in midfield, and their breakaway was converted to open the scoring. We reached half-time only a goal down, but it could have been more. Rikos made the changes and roused the troops into his own way of footballing ideology, so off went the studs, on came the hobnails, and it was time to start kicking anything that moved and tread on the ball a lot. The game started to turn our way as Phillipe Vemini began to trouble their defence and Matt Miller woke up, but it needed a bit of magic to level the scores. Unfortunately, none of the eleven spoilers is capable of any magic and Rikos' mis-timed, deflected effort somehow looped over their pixie keeper to make it even. It was his best ever goal however. All of a sudden LSE were rampant. QMW rarely entered our half, and when they did, Danny Fielding - the butcher of Berrylands - cynically scythed them down in their tracks, except for Madou, who once again exposed the loss of pace of the youngster who visited Tracey at the weekend. As the minutes ticked away, both sides seemed content to settle for a point, knowing that something special would be required to break the deadlock. Cometh the hour, Cometh the man is a phrase often used (except for Jaffa Lowen), and never more so was it true. "Goals" Cooper, so called because of his many strikes from defence (not because he writes this page), picked up a pass from Jones fully forty yards out and surged forward. There were options left and right but the ball was only going in one place. Their massive schoolboy international keeper probably didn't see the bolt that was unleashed from the leather-bound cannon, and it was only the sounds of the underside of the bar and the bursting of the net that let him know the game was lost. As the sun set over Berrylands, the victorious side made their way back to the station while a solitary figure gazed over the halcyon fields. It was Brian the groundsman, and as Coops passed him, Brian let out a sigh and whispered gently, "Chris my son, that was the greatest moment of my life. Thank you. Now it all seems worthwhile." And that, my friends, is what legends are made of. queue up is the library. And when these people, whose idea of a good night is a CNN all-nighter, decide they want to do something, they demand it to be there on a plate for them. They expect societies to give up time and risk losing money, just to entertain them. And when the events are arranged, does anyone actually show an interest? Like fuck they do. "I would but it's raining and my dissertation's due in four months", "I can't be arsed to go down the stairs", "I'd rather sit in my room and make my bald man cry". It's not just the usual society events that suffer though. The Utah Saints and Jo Brand are just two big names to play to sparse crowds (although Jo Brand did have the consolation of being elected Womens Officer last year). I don't have a problem with those shy, retiring sorts who prefer to do extra reading or just have trouble socialising (sad fuckers). It's the attitudes of the people who actually want to enjoy themselves that really smart the most. They'll pay £7 to go to a tequila party, knowing that they really are a total and utter steaming pile of shit, but they'll begrudge paying a pound to go into the Tuns on a Friday night. They won't spend Saturday nights at the Chuckle Club, where £4 buys one of the most entertaining times you will find, but how often do the same people piss away a similar amount on a fruit machine ,or a packet of fags. It's not just entertainments either. I've lo.st count of the number of people I've heard say how shit theBeaveris (that'sthispaper, notageneral statement ^out LSE women - although that still holds), yet how many get off their arses to do anything about it? All they do is criticise those who spend hours doing some-thingforothers' benefit. Thepointisthough, that at the end of three years, when they've ; got a 2.1 and a cushy job, and someone asks them what they got up to at university, the answer will be very little, and that makes me v^ry happy indeed. - Netbail girls just keep doing it Winning, that is Alison Summerfield Wednesday saw the beginning of the netbail season. New Skipper, new team, new league but with the old traditional winning ability, style and finesse the LSE netball team are renowned for. The final score - LSE 13, SLBH 11. The invincible seven who played and succesfully won the London University league second division last season have been forced to disband after the introduction of a few new dynamic freshers. A notable new recruitment made over the summer was that of international umpire 'Mightiful Megan' who is now studying here at the LSE. With her dictatorial control on court the game progressed into a tight battle between the two sides. Although the LSE team is clearly full of potential, the girls experienced a few nerve racking moments in the early stages of the game until the centre passes flowed efficiently from the fit, luscious Livvy, (who I fancy - Sports Ed), to Aimee to a goal. Five minutes into the game the LSE found themselves two nil down but by half-time had brought the score up to 5-4. Caroline who had contributed a great deal to the strong 1 thought you couldn't bounce them in netball attack left the team at half-time to attend a Wednesday afternoon lecture and restructuring of the team took place. The LSE team looked weaker in the second half but still managed to increase their lead. As far as injuries go, one rather overweight lass from SLBH managed to break her ankle and strangely enough there was a posse of old, decrepit men with spanners on the side- Photo: Nigel Boyce lines asking after the first-team left back. Sadly, Alison Summerfield's three year goal drought continued as she once again failed to score. Perhaps she has been spending too much time with Ludford-Thomas? It was a convincing win and should be a positive season and for those of you, mostly Americans who ask 'what is netball, is it like tennis?' - no it's not. Women's Rugby Any women interested in playing rugby see Liz Pet)^ in E78 ext 7161